Baseball

Ross Clites enters his fourth year with the Bears, working primarily with pitchers.

Washington University pitchers have won at least 25 games, posted at least seven saves, struck out at least 215 batters, and kept opponents’ batting averages under .295 in each of his first three years on the coaching staff.

In Clites’ first season, the pitching staff lowered the team ERA by more than two runs from that of the 2010 campaign (7.56 to 5.25). This number dramatically fell again in 2012, posting a final mark of 3.98. Last season's team ERA of 3.69 was the lowest Washington U. mark since 2007.

Highlights of his first three seasons include a 2012 NCAA Regional appearance (only the eighth postseason bid in school history) and the mentoring of pitcher Stephen Bonser to three all-UAA honors, three all-Region awards, and a no-hitter in 2011. Last season, Dom Quaranta also pitched his way to all-UAA and all-Region accolades for the Bears.

Clites came to the Danforth Campus from Kent State University, where he was a walk-on pitcher for three seasons (2006-08) for the Golden Flashes. Kent is also where Clites began his coaching career, leading the school’s NCBA Division I baseball team while in graduate school.

During the winter and summer offseasons, Clites coaches the 15U select travel team for the St. Louis Gamers, a team that qualified for the 2013 Mizuno World Series and finished eighth overall at the Perfect Game-East Cobb Wood Bat National Championship. He also works each August as a member of USA Baseball's National Team Task Force. Clites helps select the best 16-year-old baseball players in the Midwest Region and coaches them at a national showcase tournament in Cary, N.C. This past year, he mentored Logan Foster of Nebraska to a spot on Team USA's developmental roster.

Before moving to St. Louis, Clites was previously employed at Braun & Steidl Architects in Akron, Ohio. Clites graduated with a bachelor of science degree in architecture in 2008, a master’s degree in architecture and a master’s degree in business administration in 2010—all from Kent State University. With a design background, Clites is often the lead graphic designer for the Bears baseball program. Along with coaching baseball, Clites is Golf Operations Manager at The Highlands Golf Course.